Poured double-walled structures



Nov. 23, 1965 c. H. STARK POURED DOUBLE-WALLED STRUCTURES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 19, 1960 IN VEN TOR.

0944-4 A: A! wrnwk JMz/ Nov. 23, 1965 c. H. STARK 3,218,767

POURED DOUBLE-WALLED STRUCTURES Filed May 19, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 26 IN V EN TOR.

Nov. 23, 1965 c. H. STARK POURED DOUBLE-WALLED STRUCTURES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 19, 1960 INVENTOR.

C/l/QRZA'S M STAR V Nov. 23, 1965 c. H. STARK 3,218,757

POURED DOUBLE-WALLED STRUCTURES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 19, 1960 IN VEN TOR.

E% m/ass STARK United States Patent 3,218,767 POURED DGUBLE-WALLED STRUCTURES Charles H. Stark, Waterville, Ohio, assignor to Gwens- Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of ()liio Filed May 19, 1960, Ser. No. 30,214 6 (32251115. (Cl. 52-381) This invention relates to improvements in the construction of double walled structures having an internal void or air space, and usable for floors, roofs and walls, and to form units employed in the pouring of such structures.

The invention provides a form construction of suitable strength and rigidity, the component parts of which can be fabricated from an inexpensive material such as corrugated board, and which in use becomes an integral part of the structure.

The basic unit of the form construction of the invention consists of a panel and a number of tubular spacer members. The panel is provided with a series of apertures and the spacer members are connectable to the panel by suitable means so that the tubular portion of a spacer member registers with one of the panel apertures. A suflicient number of these panels to cover the area of at least one of the inner wall surfaces to be formed in a double walled structure, are placed with their spacer members extending between the inner wall surfaces so that each spacer member defines a tubular column for receiving a portion of the double wall structure which extends between the walls thereof. For example, one of the walls may be a precast slab such as a sub-floor, and in this instance the form units are placed with their spacer members resting on the outer surface of this slab so that the form panel then defines the inner surface of a second slab which is poured over the forms. Wall blocks may be made in a similar mannera first slab is poured in a suitable mold and the form units of the invention immediately placed on the surface thereof for the pouring of the remainder of the double walled block. In this case, the form units are provided with a panel mounted at each end of the spacer units so that one of these panels rests upon the freshly poured surface of the first slab to form a bearing area. Each tubular spacer member forms a poured column in the void or air space separating the two slabs.

Preferably each form panel is four-sided and the apertures are cut through the panel in a formation of regular rows extending adjacent each of the panel sides and trans versely between sides. Each aperture is formed with a plurality of notches in its perimeter and each spacer member is provided with a corresponding number of tabs which can be engaged one in each of the notches to assemble a spacer member to the panel in registry with a panel aperture. The tabs are preferably T-shaped so that they not only engage the notches but overlap the upper panel surface.

The panel construction is preferably multi-layered and when corrugated board is used, a satisfactory panel consists of two layers of corrugated board assembled with the corrugations of the outer layer extending at right angles to the corrugations of the inner layer for added strength. The apertures provided in the outer layer are slightly larger than those of the inner layer and when the spacer members are assembled their tabs engage the inner layer as outlined above, while the sides of the tabs engage the perimeter of an aperture in the outer layer. In this way, the spacer members retain the apertures of the outer layer in registry with those in the inner layer and also with registry with the tubular portion of the spacer.

In instances where it is desirable to use a panel at each end of the spacer members, the panel constructions outlined above can be duplicated or alternately, a single layer panel may be employed at one end of the spacer, this panel being similar to the inner layer of the panel described above.

Each spacer member is preferably formed from a strip of corrugated board which is scored to define the sides of a four-sided tubular shape into which the strip may be folded, and an additional end flap so that when the strip is folded into this shape, the end flap overlaps one side and its end engages the adjacent side thereby retaining the strip in tubular shape and retaining the tabs in engagement with the aperture notches. This tubular spacer member can be folded into a tubular shape of lesser cross-sectional area such as a triangle and thereby easily inserted into an aperture'and then unfolded into the larger sectional shape to bring each of the tabs into registry and engagement with one of the aperture notches.

Another part of the form construction is a bafile mem her which can be used as desired between adjacent form units to define a division in the separating air space. For example, these bafiie members may be used along opposite sides of a row of form units to provide a continuous duct in the separating air space. Each baffie member is preferably constructed from a strip of corrugated board scored so that it may be folded into a U-shape to provide a pair of side walls separated by a connecting wall which is provided with apertures. The strip is dimensioned so that the side walls are equal in length to the free length of the spacer members and the width of the apertured connecting wall is sufiicient to produce a separation between the panels of adjacent units so that the apertures of the connecting wall are exposed during pouring. The sides of the baffie member engage the rows of spacer members along the adjacent edges of a pair of panels and are held in position thereby.

Several advantages result from this form construction. Among these are that the form, after pouring, acts as an insulating layer on an inner surface of the void or air space and the construction of the form permits the insulating value to be augmented by incorporating materials other than corrugated board in the form structure. Another advantage is that the form construction permits a finished slab to readily be poured over an existing slab. In the case of floors, for example, the sub-floor is poured; and after the building walls have been erected, a finished slab can then be added directly on the sub-floor by the use of the forms of the invention. The separating air space provided between the finished and sub-floors can be utilized for wiring, plumbing, and heating components. Special ducts can be provided in the pouring operation by the use of baflle members which are part of the form construction.

A further advantage of the construction is that all component parts of the form may, when formed of corrugated board, be shipped flat and readily assembled at the construction site.

Other features and advantages will appear from the following description of the presently preferred representative embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings which contain the following views:

FIGURE 1, a plan view of a number of form units assembled to cover a sub-floor;

FIGURE 2, an enlarged sectional elevation taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3, a further enlarged sectional detail taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4, a sectional elevation corresponding to that of FIGURE 3 but showing an alternate panel construction;

FIGURE 5, a sectional elevation similar to FIGURE 2 but showing a division or baflie used between adjacent form panels;

FIGURE 6, a perspective view of the bafile member of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7, a perspective view of a tubular member used to provide an aperture for air circulation to the separating air space;

FIGURE 8, an elevation of a blank for a spacer member;

FIGURE 9, a perspective view of a spacer member folded from the blank of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10, a perspective view of the outer member of a form panel;

FIGURE 11, a perspective view of the inner member of a form panel;

FIGURE 12, a perspective detail showing the connection between portions of a spacer member and a double layer panel;

FIGURE 13, a sectional elevation of the structure of FIGURE 12;

FIGURE 14, a plan view showing a spacer member folded for assembly to a panel;

FIGURE 15, a plan view showing the spacer member in assembled relation with the form panel;

FIGURE 16, a plan view of a panel aperture showing an alternate construction therefor;

FIGURE 17, a plan view showing a spacer member assembled in the panel aperture of FIGURE 16;

FIGURE 18, an enlarged sectional elevation similar to FIGURE 2 but showing a form construction having a panel at each of the inner wall faces; and

FIGURE 19, a sectional elevation showing the use of a double panel form unit for constructing a double wall structure of brick.

Referring to FIGURES 1-3, the form construction consists of a plurality of units 20, each including a four-sided panel 21 having a series of apertures 22 with a tubular spacer member 23 connected to the panel in registry with each of the apertures. The panels are placed in side by side relation of a pre-formed slab such as a sub-floor 24 as illustrated in FIGURE 2 with the spacer members resting on the sub-floor surface and the upper surface of the panels 21 spaced from the sub-floor. When the outer slab or floor 25 is poured as shown in FIGURE 2, the material thereof flows through the panel apertures and fills each spacer thereby forming a plurality of supporting columns between the two slabs.

As illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3, the Walls 26 surrounding the sub-floor 24 are poured first. The panel form units are then laid over the sub-floor and the outer floor 25 poured within the boundaries defined by the walls 26. In instances where the form units are to be used for the construction of a roof or a wall block, suitable members can be employed to define the perimeter surfaces in place of the walls 26.

Where it is desirable to provide for the circulation of air to the separating air space, a number of tubular members 28 (FIGS. 3 and 5) are employed and are located in suitable holes formed through the form panels 21 so as to extend outwardly above the level surface 30 to be poured.

The presently preferred construction for making a form unit out of corrugated board consists of an inner panel 32 (FIG. 11), an outer panel 34 (FIG. and a spacer strip 36 (FIG. 8). The inner panel is provided with rows of apertures 38 each of which is square in shape and provided with a notch 39 on each of its side walls. A corresponding series of apertures 40 are formed in the outer panel 34, each of these apertures being square in shape with the length of each aperture side being slightly greater than the transverse distance across the notches 39 of the inner panel apertures 38. The spacer strip 36 is scored to define four side wall portions 42 and an end flap 43. Each side wall portion 42 includes a T-shaped tab 44 at one end thereof.

In order to assemble a form unit, the number of spacer strips required are each folded into a triangular tubular shape as shown in FIGURE 14 for insertion in an inner panel aperture and one of the tabs 44 is pressed into engagement wit-h one of the aperture notches 39. The spacer is then unfolded into a square tubular shape and the remaining three tabs each pressed into one of the other aperture notches. To lock the spacer in this position, the end flap 43 is unfolded to lie adjacent the spacer side 42a, and the end 45 of the flap is pressed into engagement with the surface of the adjacent side. This assembled relationship of the spacer and inner panel is shown in FIGURE 15. The outer panel 34 is then laid on the inner panel with its corrugations 46 extending at right angles to the corrugations 48 of the inner panel. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the T-shaped tabs 44 of the spacer members project above the surface of the inner panel and engage the sides of the aperture 40 of the outer panel thereby retaining the outer panel in proper assembled position with its apertures 40 in registry with the apertures of the inner panel and with the tubular portion of each spacer member.

A modified form of inner panel aperture 38:: is shown in FIGURE 16. This aperture has the same formation of notches 39 but the notches are located at the corners of the aperture rather than along the sides thereof. As a result, the corners 50 of the spacer member underlie the sides 51 of the aperture 380 as shown in FIGURE 17 and the resulting assembly is somewhat stronger than that shown in FIGURE 15.

Before the required number of form units assembled as outlined above are placed on the surface of the sub-floor, any utilities are first installed and these can extend along any of the aisles defined between the rows of spacer members. The form units are then laid in side .by side relation to cover the area to be poured as shown in FIG- URE 1.

If for any reason it is desirable to provide a continuous division in the air space, for a heat duct, for example, a bafile member 54 shown in FIGURE 6 is employed. Each of the baffle members 54 is formed from a piece of corrugated board scored to define a pair of side Walls 56 and a connecting wall 58 provided with a number of apertures 59. The side walls 56 are dimensioned to have a height corresponding to the free length of a spacer member. The apertures in the connecting wall 58 are spaced from the side walls a distance corresponding to the spacing between the edge of a panel and the row of apertures adjacent such edge. As a result, bafile members 54 can be installed as shown in FIGURE 5 between an adjacent pair of form units 60 and 62. The side walls 56 of the baflle member abut against and are positioned by the adjacent rows of spacer members 64 and 66. A gap 68 is formed between the adjacent units and as a result the apertures 59 in the upper or connecting wall 58 of the baffle member are exposed. During pouring, the material flows through the apertures 59 and fills the bafile member 54 as well as the tubular spacers.

A modified panel construction is shown in FIGURE 4. In order to provide additional insulating quality, a layer of insulating material 70 is inserted between the inner and outer panel members32 and 34.

Alternate constructions having two panel faces are shown in FIGS. 18 and 19. FIGURE 18 illustrates a form construction in which the form unit is provided with a panel 72 having apertures 73 corresponding in size and location to the apertures 38 of the inner panel 32. Spacer members '74, similar to the previously described spacer members 23, have at one end tabs 44 which engage the outer and inner panels 34 and 32 and at their other end are provided with tabs 76 which engage notches 77 formed in the periphery of the apertures 73 of the second panel 72. In FIGURE 18 this type of form construction is shown employed for making a double-walled wall block. A first slab 78 is poured in a suitable form having a bottom wall 80 and side wall members such as the member 81. As soon as the slab 78 has been poured and leveled the form assembly described above can be placed on its upper surface 82 as shown and a second slab 84 poured over the form. The second panel 72 of the form provides a bearing area on the unhardened inner wall surface 82 of the double walled block structure. During pouring the poured material flows through the tubular columns defined by each spacer member forming the structure extending between the two walls as shown at 86. No poured material is shown filling the other spacer members in FIGURE 18 for the sake of clarity.

FIGURE 19 illustrates another use for a double panel form unit. In this form unit, a panel 88 and a second panel 89, each provided with a number of apertures 90, are connected by tubular spacer members 92, which register with oppositely disposed apertures of the panels as shown. The form is employed to construct a double Wall structure of brick in which the inner wall surfaces are separated by an air space defined by the form unit. By using the form unit, the two brick walls 93 and 94 can be erected at the same time without the necessity of using two guide lines. The form unit also prevents the mortar 95 from falling down into the air space between the two walls where it could interfere with piping or any other utilities which might be installed in this space. As the brick walls are erected the tubular spacer members 92 of the form unit form tubular columns between the inner wall faces of the structure, which includes tie bolts 96 installed between the walls and extending through the tubular spacer members.

The descriptions given herein of possible uses for the form units are only illustrative of the utility of the invention. It will readily be appreciated that the form construction provided consists of components which are very inexpensive, are easy to ship to a job site and assemble for use as needed, and which are extremely versatile. It is contemplated that the form units will be manufactured in standard sizes. These may easily be cut if necessary to cover a particular area.

In all cases where the present forms are used to make a double-walled structure, the insulating advantages of the intermediate air space are enhanced by the fact that the form assemblies become an integral part of the structure.

While preferred embodiments have been described above in detail, it will be understood that numerous modifications might be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A structure poured in spaced relation to a supporting surface providing a separating air space therebetween, comprising:

(a) a number of abutting panels, each panel being provided with a series of aperture cut therethrough and each aperture having a series of notches formed in the perimeter thereof;

(b) a number of tubular spacer members corresponding to the number of apertures;

(0) each spacer member having a series of tabs at one of its ends corresponding in number to the series of notches in one of the apertures, said tabs each being T-shaped and engaging one of said notches and overlapping the outer surface of a panel connecting each spacer member to a panel in registry with one of the panel apertures;

(d) the other end of each of the spacer members resting on said supporting surface, said spacers and apertures defining tubular forms extending between said supporting surface and the outer surface of said panels;

(e) and poured concrete over said panels extending through said apertures and spacers providing columns between said supporting surface and the outer surface of said panels.

2. A structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said spacer members is formed from a flat piece of corrugated board with spaced score lines thereon whereby such piece of corrugated board may be folded into a tubular form smaller than the area of one of said apertures for insertion therein and then expanded to engage said spacer member tabs in said aperture notches.

3. A structure as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a number of second panels to cover the outer surface of said abutting panels and arranged in superimposed relation thereon, said second panels each having a series of apertures corresponding to those of said abutting panels, and the side walls of the apertures of the second panels abutting the T-shaped tabs of the spacers maintaining the second panel apertures in communication with the spacers.

4. A structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said panels consists of a piece of corrugated board, each spacer member being cut and scored from corrugated board providing a strip having four side panels and an end flap, said T-shaped tabs being located on said side panels; and the end flap of each spacer member being folded into engagement with the inner surface of a side panel thereof holding said spacer member in expanded assembled relation with a panel aperture.

5. A form construction for pouring the second layer of a double-walled structure with a separating air space between the inner surfaces of the walls thereof comprising:

(a) a number of abutting panels sufficient to cover the outer surface of the first layer of said structure, each panel being provided with a series of apertures cut therethrough and each aperture having a series of notches formed in the perimeter thereof;

(b) a number of tubular spacer members corresponding to the number of apertures;

(c) each spacer member having a series of tabs at one of its ends corresponding in number to the series of notches of an aperture, said tabs each being T-shaped and engaging in one of said notches and overlapping with the outer surface of a panel connecting each spacer member to a panel in registry with one of the panel apertures;

(d) and the other end of each spacer member resting on the outer surface of the first layer of said structure whereby each aperture and spacer member define a tubular column form extending between said outer surface of the first layer and the outer surface of said panels receiving a portion of the structure when the second layer is poured over the surface of the panels.

6. A corrugated board form for pouring a doublewalled structure comprising a planar panel of corrugated board having a series of four-sided apertures formed therein, a planar corrugated board sub-panel having a series of corresponding registering apertures formed therein, each of said corresponding apertures having a notch on each of its sides, and a series of four-sided tubular spacer members, each spacer member being cut and scored from corrugated board providing a strip having four side panels and an end flap, said four side panels each having a width corresponding to the dimension of one side of said aperture, a T-shaped tab at one end of each of said panels, said tabs each engaging with one of the notches of said corresponding apertures and one side of said four-sided apertures whereby said spacer members act to retain said panel and sub-panel in assembled relation, the end fiap of each spacer member being folded into engagement with the inner surface of a side panel thereof holding said spacer member in assembled relation with said panels.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Fries 28754 Silva 46-25 X Venzie 50279 Goldsmith 50-279 Korab 50-127 Techmer 50-190 Di Stasio 50-179 Merrill 50-334 Walker 189-42 X Spies 25-118 Davis 50290 Falls 50-334 Wilkinson 50439 X Piatt 50-358 Edgerly 50263 Leemhuis 50-334 Presnell 46-21 Bingeman et a1. 287-20.5 Gordon 189-42 Torricelli 46-25 Joseph et a1. 46-25 Sahlstrom 50-417 FOREIGN PATENTS France.

Great Britain. Great Britain. Italy.

15 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Exminer.

WILLIAM I. MUSHAKE, HENRY C. SUTHERLAND,

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiners. 

1. A STRUCTURE POURED IN SPACED RELATION TO A SUPPORTING SURFACE PROVIDING A SEPARATING AIR SPACE THEREBETWEEN, COMPRISING: (A) A NUMBER OF ABUTTING PANELS, EACH PANEL BING PROVIDED WITH A SERIES OF APERTURES CUT THERETHROUGH AND EACH APERTURE HAVING A SERIES OF NOTCHES FORMED IN THE PERIMETER THEREOF; (B) A NUMBER OF TUBULAR SPACER MEMBERS CORRESPONDING TO THE NUMBER OF APERTURES; (C) EACH SPACER MEMBER HAVING A SERIES OF TABS AT ONE OF ITS ENDS CORRESPONDING IN NUMBER TO THE SERIES OF NOTCHES IN ONE OF THE APERTURES, SAID TABS EACH BEING T-SHAPED AND ENGAGING ONE OF SAID NOTCHES AND OVERLAPPING THE OUTER SURFACE OF A PANEL CONNECTING EACH SPACER MEMBER TO A PANEL IN REGISTRY WITH NE OF THE PANEL APERTURES; (D) THE OTHER END OF EACH OF THE SPACER MEMBERS RESTING ON SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE, SAID SPACERS AND APERTURES DEFINING TUBULAR FORMS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE AND THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID PANELS; (E) AND POURED CONCRETE OVER SAID PANELS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID APERTURES AND SPACERS PROVIDING COLUMNS BETWEEN SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE AND THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID PANELS. 